February 20th, 2018, Hamilton, ON: The Hamilton Chamber of Commerce is concerned about the implications of the United States Department of Commerce’s recommendations to President Trump, under a NAFTA Section 232 investigation requested by President Trump in April 2017, concerning the Steel and Aluminum Industries. The law allows the president to unilaterally impose Tariff taxes and other restrictions on imports for reasons of national security, breaking from any existing trade protocols under NAFTA or World Trade Organization.

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Hamilton, ON, February 7, 2018 –  Today the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) released the second annual Ontario Economic Report (OER), a comprehensive analysis of data and emerging trends on the economic health of the province. Original economic research from the report reveals that 77 per cent of Ontario businesses say access to talent remains the largest impact on their competitiveness and nearly half report a lack of confidence in the province’s economy.

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This week, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce network released 10 Ways to Build a Canada that Wins, a document that provides business, decision-makers and government with a series of clear priorities and objectives that, if addressed, will give Canada a competitive edge, improve productivity and grow the economy.

A strong and prosperous Canada depends on business growth, but businesses are grappling with daunting challenges—economic, political and technological—at home and abroad.

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Hamilton, Tuesday, January 16th, 2018 – Today, the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) provided the Ontario government with 11 recommendations for the upcoming provincial budget that will help businesses manage costs and secure the province’s competitive advantage. The submission, presented to the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs, calls on the government to implement taxation reforms and smart infrastructure and transportation spending to maximize growth and benefit all regions of Ontario.

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On Wednesday, December 13th, the Department of Finance and Minister Bill Morneau released a final set of clarifications for the Federal Small Business Tax Proposals. As previously covered, these proposals will have a significant impact on businesses that have come to rely on income splitting amongst family members and passive income investment back into the corporation in order to save for retirement, capital upgrades or other downturns.

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Hamilton, ON, December 6th, 2017: The Hamilton Chamber of Commerce is partnering with the Greater Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber of Commerce, Cambridge Chamber of Commerce to support the launch of a new independent economic analysis report by Hamilton-based Think Tank Cardus and University of Toronto Professor of Economics, Dr Morley K Gunderson titled “Up, Up and Away: The Impact of Restrictive Municipal Tendering in the Province of Ontario”.

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In October, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce network released Vote Prosperity, a platform for the 2018 provincial election campaign. The release of our platform nine months prior to the election was intended to ensure that all parties have an opportunity to address the most important issues to business within their own platforms.

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On November 28th, the Government of Ontario released the province’s Long-Term Infrastructure Plan (LTIP) entitled Building Better Lives: Ontario’s Long-Term Infrastructure Plan 2017. The plan sets forth a vision for Ontario infrastructure planning and investment and is a key interim step in meeting the requirements of the Infrastructure for Jobs and Prosperity Act, 2015 (IJPA).

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Hamilton, October 18, 2017 — The Hamilton and the Canadian Chamber of Commerce welcome the government’s plans to revise its proposed tax reforms and to reduce the small business tax rate as a result of the comments and concerns expressed through the national #ProtectGrowth campaign and in consultations.

“This series of tax proposals have created an unprecedented negative response amongst our membership and alignment amongst the Chamber of Commerce network across Canada when it comes to the Federal Government.

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